St. Cloud City Workers Vote To Keep Union

ST. CLOUD — City employees Friday voted 54 to 34 to retain the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 606, which represents them in negotiations with the city.

The election was ordered by the state Public Employees Relations Committee and followed weeks of dissension over a 1984 contract that did not give union members a Christmas bonus received in December by non-union city employees.

There also were complaints that union members were having to make bi-weekly payments for health insurance. Members want the city to pay the full premium paid for other city employees.

The employee relations committee called for the election after receiving a petition signed by 35 union members.

Assistant City Manager and employee relations director Paul Wetzel called Friday's vote closer than two years ago when IBEW was voted in 64 to 30.

''It's certainly not a slam at us,'' Wetzel said, adding that the election ''might have been premature.''

Employees who work as union organizers said they feared they might lose their jobs if the union was voted out.

Union President Dan Swaford said he thought the vote would boost morale, and ''couldn't hurt at all'' the union's position at the bargaining table.